


The Rowan Tree

by Impala_Cherry_Trickster



Series: Merlin Prompts [63]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Canon Era, Gen, Good Morgana (Merlin), Gwaine Being Gwaine (Merlin), Merlin is So Done (Merlin), Powerful Merlin (Merlin), Protective Knights (Merlin), Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27132421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Impala_Cherry_Trickster/pseuds/Impala_Cherry_Trickster
Summary: Merlin casts the spell by accident, even if none of them seem to take it seriously.
Relationships: Knights of the Round Table & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Series: Merlin Prompts [63]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1706692
Comments: 33
Kudos: 463
Collections: favorite Merlin fics (Luciferskitten_Arthursprincess)





	The Rowan Tree

**Author's Note:**

> For Bwebins :)

It was, like most things Merlin did, completely an accident. He was panicking, trying to think through the list of spells that he had in his head, and before he could properly consider which one to use, he picked one. The words fell from his lips, right around the time that he remembered Morgana and Morgause’s teaching of the spell.

The two High Priestesses would be less than impressed with what he’d just done, Merlin thought, watching as Gwaine’s head snapped up the sky, a cloudiness taking over his eyes.

In the next moment, he remembered that they were currently in the middle of being attacked by bandits, and it was his job to stop the Knights and King of Camelot from dying when they were outnumbered. Throwing his hands out, the group on the left went flying, giving Merlin time to reach Gwaine.

The Knight had been the closest, and as such, had been the one to bear the brunt of the spell. Gwaine was still on his knees, unseeing as Merlin unbuckled the breastplate of his armour, removing the chainmail with his Magic and yanking at the strings on his shirt.

Over his heart, a perfectly symmetrical mark.

The Rowan Tree.

Merlin sucked in air, daring to reach out and trace the ink on the man’s chest, before Gwaine’s eyes cleared. He coughed, doubling over as he tried to get his breath, while Merlin held him.

‘Merls?’

‘I… Oh Gods, Gwaine it was an accident!’ A grunt drew his attention, Arthur slaying the last bandit and scanning the clearing, before he spotted them.

‘Care to explain why you’re stripping one of my Knights in the middle of a fight?’ Gwaine laughed, then winced, while Merlin turned back to him.

‘Merlin?’ Lancelot questioned, but Merlin was too busy with the new feeling inside.

A warmth, a steady beating, a flurry of emotions that didn’t belong to him.

‘Merls…’

‘I used the wrong spell.’ He whispered, reaching out yet again to touch the mark. Gwaine caught his hand, but there was no terror on his face, just a look of awe.

‘Can somebody please explain…’

‘Shh, Princess.’ Gwaine cut in, then went back to staring at Merlin. The Warlock felt it, stronger than he’d ever expected.

_‘Remember, Emrys, your connection to your Blood Guard will be stronger.’ Morgause remarked, using the dagger to clean the dirt from under her nails. Morgana rolled her eyes, but smiled encouragingly at Merlin, who went back to staring at the Rowan Tree._

_‘I don’t want a Blood Guard.’_

_‘Then don’t make one.’ Morgause sounded more bored than anything else, like she was dealing with a child._

‘I never meant to do this.’ Merlin said aloud, still looking at the mark.

He’d just made Gwaine into a Blood Guard. A man sworn to protect him, a creature of Magic.

 ** _‘I never meant to do this.’_** He repeated, curious, and watched as Gwaine’s eyes widened dramatically.

‘Now that’s freaky.’

‘Merlin!’ Arthur kicked the back of his boot, knocking Merlin’s balance.

Merlin watched in horror as Gwaine reached for his sword, before he got his instinct back under control.

‘What on earth…’ Sir Leon began, but Merlin stepped between them, pointing to the crest on Gwaine’s skin.

‘It’s called the Blood Guard.’ Gwaine repeated the words, looking down at the mark in awe.

‘What does it do?’ Arthur stated, still eyeing up Gwaine wearily. The Knight had abandoned his sword in favour of prodding the mark, and Merlin could almost _feel_ the curiosity radiating out of the Knight.

‘It means that Gwaine is sworn to protect me.’ Merlin muttered, earning him five very confused expressions. Gwaine didn’t seem to care, swung an arm lazily around his shoulder.

‘This’ll come in handy on adventures.’

‘Take a step back, it does what?!’

‘The Blood Guard are sworn to protect those of the Old Religion, and can see the mark of the Rowan Tree on the Isle of the Blessed…’

‘The creepy place that Morgause took my sister?’ Arthur cut in, being a prat as usual.

‘Yes.’

‘I can hear you!’ Gwaine remarked, bouncing around like an excitable child.

‘That is a supposed side-effect.’ Merlin conceded, unsure of how he felt with Gwaine so… connected.

‘Hear?’ Lancelot questioned, while Merlin shrugged.

‘My thoughts, feelings. Gwaine can get a better read on them.’

‘Plus he can speak in my head.’ Gwaine added in, before he reached out to pinch Merlin’s arm.

It hurt, sure, and Merlin yelped. It was much worse for Gwaine, who gasped and snatched his arm back like it had burned.

‘Can you reverse it?’ Arthur asked, and before Merlin could explain it was tied to the Old Religion, Gwaine cut in.

‘No way! Absolutely not, this is staying.’

‘It is?’ Elyan questioned, while Gwaine nodded energetically.

‘Of course! Merlin’s always getting into trouble, at least this way he has protection.’ Oh no. If there was one thing that all of the Knights of Camelot could agree upon, it was the fact that Merlin kept running into danger. He went to complain, to protest, but Arthur had that look on his face.

‘That actually makes sense.’ Morgause was going to kill him. Scratch that, both Morgause and Morgana were going to kill him, and then Gaius would as well, just to make sure.

‘But it takes practice to control it! You’re basically a creature of Magic now!’ Merlin protested, only for Gwaine to wriggle his fingers experimentally, like he expected something to happen.

‘Creepy.’ Percival murmured, the other Knights nodding sincerely.

‘I hate this.’

‘Can I get one?’ Elyan asked, and Merlin decided that he was very much regretting ever learning those words.

‘Hah, I’m a _Blood Guard_.’ Gwaine leered, sticking his tongue out like a child.

The Old Religion really had made a mistake, picking Merlin out of everyone.


End file.
